By Paloma Haschke
9 – 11am
Lalla Hasna Foundation for Abandoned Children – Casablanca
Created in 1956 and renovated in 2002, this establishment is now the home of more than 200 abandoned kids from newly born to 9 years old. It also has an annex for physically and mentally handicapped children. Under the Health ministry the foundation is financially and administratively managed by associations and NGOs.
Beside a large and colorful yard where the children plays and take classes, the building is divided in three sections, where the children only stay to eat and sleep: those from 18 months to 3 years old live on the first floor; from 3 to 9 years old on the second floor, and babies up to 18 months old on the last floor.
The building also has a preschool educative structure divided in five grades, from 2 to 6 years old. Each teacher uses pedagogical methods that have been approved by the Education Ministry. The rest of the children, younger than 2 years old, spend their days doing early-learning activities.
More than 90% of the children under 5 years old are adopted and less than 20% of those abandoned kids are girls. In contrast, only 3 handicapped children have been adopted in 14 years
Procedures are free but the foundation only allows Muslim couples or single women to adopt the children.
11am – 12pm
Visit of Hassan II Mosque and its Koranic school – Casablanca
5 – 7pm
Governance and Economy School of Rabat (EGE) – Rabat
An open and informal discussion session with Moroccan youth
During two hours the fellows had the chance to discuss with Moroccan students of EGE, the first political science institute of Morocco, and to exchange their views through a frank and straight dialogue.
On an introductory note, representatives of the ISESCO and the British Council both put the emphasis on the multicultural aspect of Morocco and its very particular melting pot. They also insisted on the aim of the fellowship is to overcome stereotypes and to build bridges between civilizations through dialogue and listening.
In an interactive exchange with the audience, each fellow explained the stereotypes s/he had before the trip and gave example of the things that surprised him/her. Quickly the discussion became intense. The evolution of modern Moroccan identity was the first important point of the discussion. Exchanges were questioning the weight of Islam and Arabness in the definition of what it means to be a Moroccan today.
The second main question dealt with the relationship with the West and the way these two cultural entities should be defined: West vs. East, Muslim world vs. Christendom, Arab vs. European?
The discussion ended with a lively dialogue on the events of the Arab spring and the role the Moroccan youth might want to play in changing and improving its country’s future.
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